Eric Zuesse

August 31, 2017 "Information Clearing House" - On the basis of reports in Jerusalem Post, Wall Street Journal, and other sources, the Zero Hedge news site not only documents and headlines on August 29th, “Israel Threatens To Bomb Assad’s Presidential Palace”but makes clear that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally informed RussianPresident Vladimir Putin of this intention during his meeting with Putin in Sochi on August 23rd, and that Netanyahu said there that Israel will do this unless Putin stops Iran and Shiites generally from defeating Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other Sunni fundamentalist organizations who are trying to take over Syria.

“Iran continues to threaten Israel’s existence, and it funds terror organizations and missile plans,” Netanyahu told Putin. “Wherever ISIS disappeared, Iran has taken over. Iran is already on its way to taking control of Iraq, Yemen, and in many ways has already taken over Lebanon.”

Whereas Netanyahu can accept the Sunni groups ISIS or Al Qaeda taking over Syria, he cannot accept continuance of Shiite Iran’s alliance with Syria and defeating ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria.

The Arutz Sheva report closes:

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu’s meeting with Putin is just part “of a wider international effort led by Prime Minister Netanyahu and intended to impress upon the world how dangerous Iran’s foothold in Syria is.”

The Zero Hedge report suggests that U.S. President Donald Trump has already told Netanyahu that the U.S. isn’t going to do what Netanyahu is demanding be done — overthrow and replace Syria’s government:

The US has essentially signaled to Israel: you are on your own when it comes to Syria policy. Trump shut down the CIA program to topple Assad — a program which had the assistance of Israeli intelligence. Other world leaders like France’s Macron have further stated that Assad is here to stay for the near future.

The only way then to prevent Israel from invading Syria even more than it has been doing by the support that it has provided to Al Qaeda and ISIS there, and actually bombing the Presidential Palace, would be to overthrow and replace U.S. President Trump by his Vice President Mike Pence, who is a fundamentalist Christian whose entire career in public office has been unwaveringly pro-Israel. Perhaps Netanyahu is waiting for clear signs of whether Trump will soon be replaced, before launching his planned invasion of Syria.